It may seem harmless, but an expert has revealed several reasons why you should never put a collar on your cat.
Amanda Campion, a feline behavior specialist with over 30 years of experience, posted a video on her TikTok profile explaining what she thinks about collars on cats.
She started by explaining that many owners put collars on their cats to help them get found if they go outside and get lost. However, nowadays, it’s ideal to microchip them instead.
“Let’s be realistic, cats can lose collars anyway, and then there would be no way to identify who they belong to [without a chip],” Amanda explained in the clip.
She then highlighted the potential health risks your cat could face while wearing a collar. “I know of cats who were strangled and got stuck in branches and trees because of a poorly fitted collar or one that didn’t have a safety mechanism.”
Many owners also put collars on their cats with a bell to protect wildlife. This means if a cat that has access to the street wants to hunt, the bell will alert its potential prey and give it a chance to escape.
While it may seem like a good idea, Amanda countered by saying: “[The bell] is aversive to a cat’s sensitive hearing.” If this is a major concern for you, she suggested using a brightly colored collar instead of one with a bell.
Watch on TikTok
Photo and video: Unsplash and TikTok @kittysittycatbehaviour. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
